By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange
Even though construction is nearing completion on phase one of Pima Canyon Luxury Rentals – a 30 building, 232-unit multifamily development on Orange Grove in Pima County – plans for second phase have been scrapped.
Pima County Development Services was scheduled to hear a rezoning application for the 5.7 acre second parcel on May 30. However, on May 22 The Planning Center submitted a notice on behalf of owner Alta Vista Communities Casas Adobes, LLC (Aerie Development) it was withdrawing the request “due to rising interest rates and materials costs that have rendered construction of additional apartments cost prohibitive at this time.”
According to the original staff report, “Pima Canyon Luxury Rentals is currently under construction on the western portion of the parcel. The proposed site encompasses approximately 5.7 acres. The property is currently zoned CR-1. The Avilla Pima Canyon Rezone site is fully graded and includes perimeter decorative masonry walls along its north, east and west boundaries, an access road, gated entrance, roundabout, drainage basins, desert garden, parking areas, recreation center, Orange Grove promenade, and other amenities, which are either built or under construction as part of Pima Canyon Luxury Rentals. These two developments respond to an integrated site design.”
The development currently under construction features one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury apartments. The rezoning proposal for the 5.7-acre area was to develop 48 additional units in a total of six buildings east of the current construction area. That portion of the site also included drainage basins, the roundabout and desert garden space, according to the site plan.
According to the county documents, more than 20 statements from nearby residents protesting the development were received, and an opposition petition with more than 70 signatures from outside the immediate area was also submitted. Residents were concerned about building heights, screening, buffer zones, traffic, noise and the impact of a medium-density multifamily development on the neighborhood, which features several single-family homes.
AZBEX reached out to The Planning Center to ask about future plans for the property and when phase one is targeted for completion, but messages were not returned by press time.
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